Subcomandante Marcos
Subcomandante Marcos
Subcomandante Marcos or Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos, was the nom de guerre used by the main ideologist and spokesman of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, a Mexican rebel movement fighting for the rights of the indigenous peoples of Mexico. Subcomandante Marcos, the character, the constructed persona, the hologram, the "colorful ruse," was created by the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee of the Zapatistas, because " can only see those who are as small as they are. Let's make someone as small...
NationalityMexican
ProfessionActivist
CountryMexico
calendar follow impose learned ourselves schedules subject time
We learned a long time ago that we should never subject ourselves to the schedules of the powerful. We had to follow our own calendar and impose it on those above.
country pick shake turn
What we're going to do is shake this country up from below, pick it up and turn it on its head,
conflict dialogue hold peaceful solution
We hold a dialogue to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. That's why we hold a dialogue.
almighty cries ears government opened war
Our war cries opened the deaf ears of the almighty government and its accomplices.
bottom future latin mexico rest
We think, fundamentally, that the future story of Latin America, not only of Mexico but for all of Latin America, will be constructed from the bottom - that the rest of what's happening, in any case, are steps.
agents crazy false happens hearing inform noticed parties political report sent surely suspects worried
Surely the agents of the government, businessmen and political parties have sent to inform you what happens here. After hearing us and hearing you, they will write in their report a false alarm. There's nothing to be worried about. The suspects are crazy and they haven't noticed each other. End of report.
begin building corrupt country mexico overthrow powerful rich rise simple supreme
We are going to rise up to overthrow the supreme governments, to overthrow corrupt officials, to throw all the rich and powerful out of this country and begin building a new Mexico with humble, simple people.
indians indigenous society sure
We have to make sure of our place in society as indigenous Indians that we have won. In Mexico, there are movements, there are revolutions and change, but for the indigenous nothing changes.
war
We came to know each other in war, and in war we continue.
aim bind build learn leftist listen national rebel resistance support together
The aim is to listen and learn about the struggles, the resistance and rebel movements, support them and bind them together to build a national anti-capitalist, leftist program.
trying looks actors
The photographer discovers himself/herself being photographed and we can guess he is uncomfortable. Unsuccessfully he/she tries to recompose his posture and to look like a photographer taking photos. But no, he is and continues to be a spectator. The momentous fact of being photographed leads him to becoming an actor. And, as always, actors must assume a role, which is only an elegant way of avoiding to say they must choose sides, choose a faction, take an option.
luxury doe privilege
... the photographer is a thief who chooses what he steals (which, at this stage of the crisis, is a luxury) and does not democratize the image, that is to say, the photographer selects the pictures, a privilege which ought to be granted to the person being photographed.
army soldier needs
In previous armies, soldiers used their time to clean their weapons and stock up on ammunition. Our weapons are words, and we may need our arsenal at any moment.
sweet distance struggle
Question the images. Take them by the hand and don't let the sweet distancing they offer you vanquish you; do away with the distance's comfort or the soft indifference you derive from concentrating on the quality of the framing, the use of light and shadows, the successful composition. Force these images to bring you to the Mexican Southeast, to history, to the struggle, to this taking sides, to choose a faction.